Church Members Agitate For Urgent Holding Of UMC Liberia Annual Conference, Amid Mounting Calls Breakaway
PHOTO: (L-R) Rev. Dr. Arthur Kulah and Rev. Jerry Kulah
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The Bishop-emeritus of the United Methodist Church says only the Liberia Annual Conference has the authority to allow same sex marriage in its churches in the country, amid mounting calls by UMC members for that conference to be held to take a definitive position on the LGBTQ issue.
At the meeting in the US early in May this year, United Methodist General Conference, the church’s global legislative body, voted to overturn every ban on LGBTQ people. The historic changes include a new definition of marriage as a lifelong covenant between “two people of faith,” rather than solely between a man and a woman, and a repeal of its ban on LGBTQ clergy, although Reverend Jerry Kulah, a delegate from Liberia, was quoted as saying: “We do not believe we know better than the Bible.”
The General Conference also struck down a 52-year-old stance on homosexuality being “incompatible with Christian teaching.” At A Meeting In The US: United Methodist Church Holds Historic Vote in Favour Of LGBTQ Inclusion – News Public Trust
That move has prompted calls in many quarters among Methodists for the UMC to break away from the Methodist General Conference in the US, an action that neighbouring Ivory Coast and other United Methodists in Africa have since taken.
Retired Bishop Arthur Kulah said the United Methodist Church does not allow same sex marriage because it is not a gay church as some members of the public have misunderstood the church.
Bishop Kulah was speaking at the national day of worship, peace and the sustenance of biblical Christianity in the United Methodist Church in Sinkor on Sunday, July 7, 2024.
“We, the United Methodists, are very peaceful people; we are gracious people and we do not believe in violence,” he said; adding: “we are conservative and more democratic than many churches that I know of their belief and the worship of God with lot of experience people.”
Speaking on the global conference in the United States, Bishop Kulah explained that when the topic on same sex marriage was brought on the floor, he was asked to chair the deliberation.
“But, I said to them that we are paradoxical Christians; we are very democratic and yet, we are also conservative and we in Liberia, will in no uncertain terms not accept same sex marriage.”
“What is needed to be done is for our bishop to call a special conference in order to explain and interpret the discussions that were held at the global conference.”
A partial view of worshippers during the National Day of Prayer for Peace in UMC
“Therefore, the retired bishop went on, “if anyone tells you that the United Methodist Church is now a gay church, please tell them that he or she is lying unless it is agreed by the Liberia Annual Conference.”
He apologized to Bishop Samuel Quire for the violence attempt made against him when he was in Ganta, Nimba County and commended the Liberia Council of Churches for efforts aimed at resolving the crisis in the UMC
Delivering the sermon at the service, the Vice President for Graduate Program at the United Methodist University, Reverend Jerry Kulah, said the United Methodist Church world -wide is in crisis because the majority of the members are liberals and progressives.
According to him, the progressive and liberal in the United Methodist Church world-wide belief that the Holy Bible is progressing and, as such, they have more ideas than Jesus and they know better than God.
Bishop Kulah maintained that they are of the opinion that ‘the Bible is absolute and it is not relevant for this time’ and based on this, the progressives and liberals are denying the Bible in many respects.
“One of these respects is to introduce lot of social and cultural practices that contravene the Christian teaching and living,” he said; adding: “one of such is the same sex marriage.”
Recently, at the global conference, the majority voted to lift the ban on the same sex marriage in the United Methodist Church; meaning that ‘man can marry man, woman can marry woman, man can marry his daughter and woman can marry her son.’
“But, for us in the United Methodist Church in Liberia, we are still in opposition to this because it is unbiblical from Genesis to Revelation.”
“From Genesis to Revelation, there is no trace of man marrying man, man marrying his son or his daughter, two men or two women getting marry, it is wrong, unbiblical and totally unacceptable.”
According to them, each person is responsible his or her body, but we say no because your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.
During the service, speakers after speakers spoke against any attempt to introduce same sex marriage in the church in Liberia some even pray for God not to allow LGBTQ agenda in the UMC.
For some time now, the United Methodist Church is being rocked by crises with some members demanding their Bishop, Reverend Doctor, Samuel Quire, to state the position of the church on the debate on same sex marriage.
The national day of worship, prayer for peace and the sustenance biblical Christianity in the United Methodist Church was organized by worshippers who are demanding for the bishop to organize a special session in order to determine the position of the Liberia Annual conference.